Thought I’d share some of the video I took at this weekend at the Blame It On Rio Fireworks Spectacular at the Hollywood Bowl. It was fantastic to see Bebel Gilberto perform with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra out under the stars. The music is so achingly beautiful and romantic… Seu Jorge was amazing, as well, he has such a strong voice and stage presence. And their ending finale was simply magic! To say nothing of the Brazilian Carnaval dancers, drummers, Capoeria artists and out-of-control fireworks display… Man, what a night! I actually had a sense of what the bowl must’ve been like when it was first built, with the lovely vintage orchestra arrangements and that old school sense of glamor that Gilberto and Jorge brought to the stage. Sigh…
Bebel Gilberto performs “Tanto Tempo” with the LA Philharmonic Orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl
I finally got word back from the Pacific Marine Mammal Center that my “Meals For Seals” sponsored pinniped is Cyntia, a California Sea Lion pup. Apparently she is a special case, as she came in not only malnourished and dehydrated, but with an eye injury, as well. Poor thing! Cyntia has been at the center for about 3 months now, and after medical care, vitamins, and food, she is finally able to join the other pinipeds in the swim tanks and eat whole fishes. Apparently she is eating 5 and a half pounds of fish per day! We think Cyntia might have been one of the 3 pups that Ryan and I saw in the nursery the day of our visit. Check out this short video I took of them, they are absolutely adorable!
Anji coos over the baby sea lions on the warmed floor of the nursery
Can you believe that Attorney Paul Kennerson has been working hard for years to remove the beloved La Jolla seals from “Children’s Pool” at Casa Beach? Everybody else seems to loves them as they are a huge draw for tourists and locals alike. Now that seals are in trouble all up and down the coast, it seems a particularly poor idea to kick them out of this little cove. On top of that, the plan for removal of the seals is to play a recording of dogs barking 24/7, to the tune of $700,000 a year. What???
Anji visits the La Jolla seals at Children’s Pool & is quite tickled
Brief video of Anji Bee talking about about participating in the Meals For Seals sponorship program at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach, CA. Join the PMMC on Facebook to get educated and get involved. Right now, record numbers of seals are showing up sick all along the west coast, so they could really use your help!
My fangirl status has just reached another high today as I am in the Fan Spotlight on the official site of Laker guard, Sasha Vujacic. OMG! As of today, when you visit vujacic.net, you will see my little face TWICE on his homepage; once for said spotlight, and the other for the Ask Sasha A Question area, which I posted about previously. I’m not sure if this makes me a stalker or a good news source, but either way, it is a thrill to play a small part on my favorite player’s site. Of course, this is actually my third time making the news on Sasha’s site. I was also one of 3 “Vujachicks” features in an article called Sasha Spirit showing various fans holding up signs for Sasha at Lakers games. Please read my Sasha Vujacic Fan Spotlight interview and feel free to leave a comment there on the site.
There has been one burning question on my mind for Lakers’ guard, Sasha Vujacic, now that he has won his first NBA Championship: are you going to cut your hair? I asked him about his pledge to not cut his hair until finals were over on his official website – sashavujacic18.com – and was surprised to receive an answer almost immediately! You’ll note the poor grammar of my question, I am sure. Originally my question also included his pledge to not shave during finals, as well. Since he went back on that promise, I guess he decided to skip that part.
If it were in my power to decide for him, I would have Sasha keep his beard and mustache shaggy as well as his hair, exactly as he looked the night I was lucky enough to bump into him at the Nokia Theater. Mmm… I’m happy to see reiterated in Sasha’s Exit Interview that he won’t be cutting his hair “too much.” Phew!
Stay tuned for The Chillcast #169 tomorrow, which will be a 1 hour set of songs dedicated to Sasha Vujacic and the Lakers congratulating them on winning the NBA Championship this year!
Congratulations to the Lakers for winning the 2009 NBA Championship! I have not been able to buckle down and get focused on any work today, all I can do is google images and video to post up on my Sasha Vujacic Ning Forum. I have no idea if I can make it out to the big Lakers Parade this Wednesday, but my heart will be there in spirit. This win has been a long time coming for Kobe Bryant, who was actually my first Lakers crush back when he had that cute little fro… I’m super happy Derek Fisher was back with us for this win, and really wonder if we could have even done it without him! Anyway, I know this isn’t a sports blog, but anyone who follows me knows by now that I am a fan, as weird as some of you seem to find it. And you know what, I think I just might have to pick up one of the Lakers 2009 Championship Tees from Footlocker for 15% off using my promo code AFAnjiFL.
Kobe, Derek, and Sasha with the Championship & Finals MVP trophies
Me & several fellow Vujachicks at a viewing party for Game 4
The debut album of San Francisco duo, Under, has been several years in the making, but I must say, it has been well worth the wait! Their inspired self-titled first single was featured in the Chillcast Top 20 Podsafe Tracks of 2006, and this moody tune is still my favorite. While the earlier tracks taken from the Under EP might be the band’s strongest material, the newer songs have a delicate touch that provides a sweetly ethereal counterpoint. Jen Triano’s voice has a vulnerable, unforced quality that feels pleasingly familiar and shines equally brightly in either an electonic or rock setting, which Under balances beautifully on More Pleasant Grey.
Bet ya didn’t know that, huh? Call me a dirty hippie, but yes, I am a Dead Head. The Grateful Dead were like a myth when I was growing up; the name itself was foreboding, the imagery of the stickers on the backs of old VW buses rather ominous. I remember my mom telling me about attending their concert, saying the band had taken the stage by “coming out of coffins.” Yoiks! I don’t think I ever even heard their music until I saw Mask, with their amazing song, “Ripple.” When I met Ryan, it tuned out he was a big fan of the band. In fact, he confessed that The Dead were the musical inspiration for his earliest work as Love Spirals Downwards. Over the years, we’ve spent many hours listening to the band’s songs and watching concert videos together. He told me funny stories about the shows he saw before Jerry Garcia’s untimely death. I thought I had totally missed my chance, but this past weekend, I finally got to attend my very first Dead show. There was the whole crazy parking lot scene, just as Ryan had described, but better yet was the concert itself. I had figured it could never be the same without our beloved Jer Bear, but boy, it sure must have been pretty close! The setlist was amazing, the band were really “on,” and the new guitarist and keyboardist were amazing. The band came out strong for the first set, but after the infamous “intermission,” they came out guns-a-blazing! I can’t remember the last time I danced so much. And being at the Forum again for a concert really brought back childhood memories… It was an incredible experience and one that I’m so happy I got to share with Ryan. Oh, and if anyone asks, I did not inhale. LOL!
Sorry for the inflammatory title, I couldn’t resist! Just got back from 2 days in Indian Wells for the BNP Paribas Open that’s going on. Last year Ryan and I went up for one day to see Roger Federer play but his match was called off, so this time I gave myself 2 chances to catch him in action. I was also hoping to see Marat Safin, who has threatened to retire after this year. (Noooo!) My trip was a complete success, as I got to see Federer warming up and playing doubles the first evening, then singles the next day. Plus I saw Safin play both singles and doubles on smaller courts, from very close up, and caught him signing autographs – shirtless! I won’t go into too many details here since I will likely blab about it at length on the Anji Bee Vidcast and/or Chillin’ with Lovespirals which should prove much more amusing to you than a mere blog post. For now, enjoy these photos from my trip.
Get a great discount on your athletic supply purchases at Eastbay.com and Footlocker.com care of The Chillcast with Anji Bee.
“Under”
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